Rapper Jeremih didn’t board his US Airways flight from Newark on time. The Chicago-born rapper, whose real name is Jeremy Felton, 27, and his pals pulled the pea-brained stunt about 1:45 p.m. at gate 37 in terminal A, as a US Air flight to Phoenix was just seconds from takeoff, the sources said. …So one of his friends who had already passed through the jetway – the movable ramp linking the terminal to the plane – opened the jetway door so the tardy trio could sneak on, the sources said. Plenty of people have referred to economy passengers as ‘self-loading cargo’. But even when I’ve been late to the gate (and flying economy) I’ve never actually tried to load myself. Surely though there has to be more to this story. The boarding door was closed,…
Monthly Archives
Monthly Archives for December 2014.
Have Elite Status? Get Free Access to American and United Clubs!
Airlines are interested in poaching the best customers of their competitors. Frequent flyers sometimes want to switch airlines, but it’s tough — you’ve flown enough to earn perks, you don’t want to give up those perks and start from scratch with another carrier. So many airlines will offer a status match: show that you have elite status on a competitor airline, and they’re willing to give you similar status to make it easier to move your business over. To avoid getting ‘gamed’ the airlines may: Make you prove your status with another carrier first Possibly give you status for only a limited time, while you have to fly a certain amount to keep that status Honor the offer only once per person. In general airlines have gotten more restrictive in making these offers over time.…
Hyatt Platinum Status for Everyone Buying a Ticket to Frequent Traveler University!
The next USA Today Frequent Traveler University will be held April 17-19 at the Hyatt Regency DFW, minutes from the Dallas Fort Worth airport. Get your tickets right away! Frequent Traveler University ($149) Hotel booking link – Hyatt Regency DFW special $99 rate Like with the DC event, everyone purchasing a ticket can receive Hyatt Gold Passport Platinum status. Frequently asked questions and details on this are the linked Milepoint thread. Some of the speakers include: Gary Leff – View from the Wing Where We’ve Been and Where We’re Going Ben Schlappig – One Mile at a Time How to Book Your Own Award Tickets Greg Davis-Kean – Frequent Miler Maximizing Your Miles with Online Shopping Portals Stefan Krasowski – Rapid Travel Chai The Secrets of Renting Cars at Home and Abroad Scott Mackenzie –…
The Messiness of Credit Cards and Airline Mergers (One Airline Will Soon Have FOUR Card Partners!)
When Delta and Northwest merged, American Express was the surviving co-brand card issuer. They had a 20 year relationship with Delta, and Delta was the surviving carrier. The head of Northwest Worldperks wound up going to work for Northwest’s co-brand credit card issuer, US Bank, which launched the ‘FlexPerks’ programs aimed at retaining the customers they had through the Northwest relationship. When a bank is at risk losing its customers, and another one is looking to obtain customers, it’s great for consumers. The need to acquire lots of customers in a short period of time means tons of marketing spend, often in the form of signup bonuses. We’ve seen the bonus on the US Airways credit card issued by Barclays go up — first to make the 40,000 point signup bonus broadly available, and most…
How Can You Increase Your Credit Limit and Credit Score?
Reader Chris asks, Would you recommend to use balance transfer in one lump sum but to pay minimum balance every month for 6-12 months or use the maximum limit every month but paying in full to increase future limit for a new immigrant to get into credit card air mileage bonus game? Which is better and faster to get higher credit limit plus getting good credit rating in US? First of all, a balance transfer isn’t a strategy for increasing your credit limit. Use the strategy to move high interest credit card debit onto a card offering 0% interest and no balance transfer fee for a promotion period like 12 or 15 months. And only do this if you’ve gotten yourself into trouble. You want to pay down your credit card debt. Your credit score…
Hyatt’s “Surprise and Delight” Reward for Staying at 50 Different Hotels
Hyatt emailed me yesterday to let me know that a stay I completed two and a half weeks ago was at my 50th Hyatt hotel. They produced a map of the places I’ve stayed, and also had a list. Several things struck me about their reaching out with this information, and 10,000 bonus points (which I value at ~ $140): I’m amazed I haven’t stayed at more than 50 Hyatt properties. I tend to use them for business mostly, staying at the same properties time and again. (In fact, I was certain that I had stayed at more than 50, but I’ve gone through their list and it appears they’re correct. Imagine that?) Award stays do count. There are properties on the list that I’ve used points only at, but they’re part of my 50.…
Alaska Airlines 3rd Roundtrip Free Promotion!
Residents of Washington, Oregon, and California can register for an Alaska Airlines promotion that lets you earn a third roundtrip ticket for just the tax. You have to fly 2 round trips from any one of those states to one of the following cities by February 23 and credit the flights to Alaska’s Mileage Plan frequent flyer program. Bend Reno Bozeman Salt Lake City Kalispell Steamboat Springs Kelowna Sun Valley Mammoth Lakes Vancouver If you do that, you’ll receive a discount code approximately two weeks later valid for a third roundtrip between one of those states and the cities listed above at the cost of taxes only (‘from $29’). The discount code will be valid for travel between February 1 and April 30, and must be ticketed by March 30. (HT: Diego R.) You can…
How Many Domestic First Class Seats Are Actually Sold, Versus Left Over for Upgrades?
A decade ago conventional wisdom was that 10% of domestic first class seats were occupied by passengers on paid first class tickets. Airlines used to charge sky high rates for first, didn’t really discount (other than through certain corporate agreements), and as a result they’d sell a few seats but most would be empty — and filled with upgraders, awards, and in the era before unlimited complimentary upgrades, employees. When Alaska Airlines contemplated abolishing their first class cabin entirely, they ultimately decided to keep it to differentiate themselves among frequent flyers but determined they needed to earn a revenue premium for it. Carriers started restricting the fare classes eligible for upgrades (Delta has for over a decade required a minimum fare domestically to use miles to upgrade if you aren’t elite) or adding a cash…
Alaska’s Seats Can Be Your Carry On, United’s 7 Hour Tarmac Delay, and Emirates Slaps Airbus Around – Puts Them Back in Line
News and notes from around the interweb: After speculation that Airbus could terminate the A380 program, they’re now saying that they’ll consider a new engine version of the plane which Emirates has been asking for and considering a ‘stretch’ variant for more passengers as well. (HT: Alex B.) We’ll see what they actually do, but they clearly don’t want speculation that the program could end as that would hardly boost sales! The new comments come, it seems, after Airbus got a spanking over the comments from Emirates. One analyst says the market would puke if Airbus actually moved forward with a new engine A380. Old Alaska Airlines seats have turned into carry on bags United’s 7 hour tarmac delay. Perfect example of how these things are rarely the airline’s fault – a closed airport and…
Here’s the 12 Days of Big Giveaways from Milepoint’s Christmas Promotion
The Milepoint frequent flyer community‘s big ’12 days of Christmas’ prize giveaway starts tomorrow, December 13. What I’ve got for you is a list of the prizes. I do not know the order in which they’ll be given away. You’ll want to be sure to sign up for the daily entry reminder and prize information by subscribing. Here’s rumor on the street regarding the 12 days of prizes, though in no particular order: 100,000 Hyatt Gold Passport points 10 X National Car Rental National Executive status 5 X 10-use Gogo inflight passes 1 $500 Hyatt Gift Card 5 X Hyatt Platinum status 50 Remove Before Flight tags with milepoint.com embroidered on them 4 X $100 Hyatt Gift Cards 5 X Hyatt Platinum status 10 X United Club passes 1 custom 777 model airplane in the…
